Door suspension



T. J. KENNEDY DOOR SUSPENSION Filed-Se15t. 2 1924 FIQE.

DOOR SUSPENSION.

Application filed September 26, 1924.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DoorSuspensions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door constructions and more in particular to amethod of suspending screen doors or other types of doors which aresubject to periodical removal.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device whichpermits the installation or removal of a door without in any wayaffecting the hinges thereof. Another object is to provide a means ofsuspension for such doors which can be readily applied to oldconstructions without requiring important alterations. A further objectis to provide such a device which is simple in construction andapplication and which can be manufactured at low cost. Additionalfeatures and advantages of this invention will appear from the followingdescription considered in connection with the accompanying drawingforming a part of this application, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a screen door suspended inaccordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken substantially on line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4: is a perspective view showing a female clamping member used inFig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a male clamping member adapted tocooperate with the female clamping member.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a spacer-block used in the construction shownin Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary front elevation showing a modified way ofsuspending a screen door.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the clamping meansused in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a front View of the female clamping element used in Figs. '7and 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one type of spacing member adapted tothe construction shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, which represent Serial No. 740,005.

the preferred construction for use in connection with new screen doorinstallations, the screen door 1 is supported by means of hinges 2permanently secured in the stile 3 of said door and in asupporting-strip 4, of wood, fitting within the rabbeted portion 5 ofthe door-jamb 6 and extending in parallel relation to the stile from thetop of the door-sill-plate 7 to within a short distance of the transom8.

This supporting-strip is securely clamped to the rabbeted portion of thejamb ,by means of detachable clamping devices each formed of a femaleclamping-member 9 and a male clamping-member 10. The former arepreferably screwed permanently in recesses 11 cut in the door-jamb,whereas the latter are permanently fastened to the supporting-strip 41at the proper levels to permit the engagement of said members and thebearing of the supporting-strip on top of the sill-plate.

The recesses 11 are cut sufficiently deep to fully accommodate theclamping members and cause the supporting-strip to be clamped tightagainst the door-jamb, thereby preventing any loose play or rocking motion of said strip when swinging the screen door.

The supporting-strip is clamped in position by first raising it highenough to enable the male clamping members to engage their correspondingfemale members from the top; this strip is then forced down to obtain agood engagement between the wedgeshaped contacting surfaces 12 and 13provided respectively in the female and male clamping members, until thelower end of the supporting-strip bears upon the sillplate. 11 are madesufficiently long to allow the insertion of the male clamping membersfrom the top of the female members.

The space 14 left between the top of the supporting-strip and thetransom is now filled up by means of a suitable spacer-block 15 toprevent the supporting-strip from working loose and to keep the clampingmembers always in proper engagement.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6, this spacer-block is shown as beingprovided with two nails 16, the protruding ends of which are intended tobe driven into the door-jamb. As will be understood, other means forremovably fastening the spacer- As will be seen in Fig. 1, the recessesblock could be used, such as screws, hinges, etc.; but all. these meansare too well known to the art to require further comment.

The modified construction shown in Figs. 6 7 to 10 is intendedespecially for use in connection with old screen door installations,where it is not found desirable to reduce the Width of the doors toprovide sufficient room for inserting the wooden supporting-strips, asused in Fig. 1.

In practice, most screen doors lit rather loosely within their rabbetedframes, andthe process of stamping. They engage apertures 2tprovided inthe holding-plates 150 which are set in the door-jamb and permanentlysecured. thereon by means of screws 26. These tongues are suitably bentto facilitate their insertion in the plates and toclamp the strip tightagainst he jamb when in their final position. A suitable'recess 27'iscut in the amb backof each aperture in the plates to provide room forthe tongue. The spacer-block used at the top of the angle ironsupporting-strip is preferably made of metal-and comprises a flat piece28 in whichtwo sharpened pins 29 are, secured, to be driven in the ambby means of a hammer.

Referring td'the above, the method of applying doors builtinaccordancewith this invention will be readily understood and may besuccinctly stated as follows. Assuming that'one desires to'remove ascreen door, he first opens the door and then removes strongly in placeby its short nails), after which the door, with its supporting-strip isremoved by lifting it until the clamping mcn'ibers are disengaged. Thescreen doors 555 are then storedaway until needed again. The method ofhanging the doors is, of course, the reverse of that for removing themand-will be understood without additional description.

It is thus seen that'with this construction, screen doors may be appliedor removed 23, preferably made integral with the supporting-strip by thespacer-block '(which is not'held very very rapidly and without having tocon tend with the hinge-screws. Also, the trou-' ble of having-to re-setthe hinges,.owing to the wearing out of the screw-holes by frequenthandling of the screws is eliminated.

As will be understood, as suggested here in, there may be slight changesmade in the construction and arrangement of the details ofthis-invention without departing from the scope of the same, and Iintend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of theappended'claims, in this application, in which the preferred forms onlyof my invention have been disclosed.

What I'cla-im is r 1. In combination witha door, a supporting strippositionedalongside of thejamb of said door and of lesser height thansaid jamb; a plurality of hinges for securing said door to said strip;clamping means for removably securing said strip to said door-- jamb,and a spacer blockadapted to-prevent the lifting of'said strip. I

2. In combination with a door,-asup-- porting strip positioned alongsideofv the jamb of said door and oflesser height than said jamb; aplurality of hinges for securing said door to said strip; clamping meansforremovably'securing said strip to said door-jamb, said clamping meanscom'prising a wedge shaped female member and a male member engaging theformer, and a spacer block adapted to prevent the lifting of said malemember out of-said femal member.

3. In combination with a door, a supporting-strip;a plurality o-fhingesfor securing said door to said strip; clamping means to fasten saidstrip to a door-jamb, said clamping means comprising each a femalemember permanently secured to said door-jamb and a male member securedpermanently to said supporting-strip, and a spacer-block adapted toprevent the lifting of saidiniale clamping members out of said femaleclamping members. 7

4. In combination with a door, a supporting-strip; a plurality of hingesfor securing said door to said strip; clamping means to fasten saidstrip to a door-jamb, said clamping means comprising each a femalemember permanently secured tosaid door-jamb and a male'member securedpermanently to said supporting-strip, and a removable spacer-blockadapted to 'n'everit the lifting 5 of said male clamping members outofsaid female clamping members.

In testimony whereof I affix my ture.

' HOMAS J. KENNEDY.

signa-

